Volume 52#18

The latest round of fake gold coins has the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) calling the cops.
“We take the issue of counterfeiting very seriously and these activities are being addressed with the assistance of domestic and international law enforcement agencies,” RCM spokesman Alex Reeves told Canadian Coin News. “We encourage anyone in possession of such products to reach out to law enforcement authorities without delay.”
The issue Reeves was referring to was the latest in the work of fake Chinese versions of Canadian gold coins and bars being sold on the Chinese website alibaba.com. He would not elaborate on the steps being taken. Continue reading →

Features

RCM’s $3 coin in running for Coin of the Year

Page 1

Bank of Canada to scrutinize cyber money

Page 6

Sestertius had identity crisis before coming into its own

Page 8

Regulars

Focus on Proof-Like singles

Page 10

Are you buying or selling?

Page 30

Check out the shows in your area

Page 33

Editorial

Counterfeit fake coins and notes are part of the landscape of collecting.
We often use the term synonymously, but that may not always be the case. In some cases fake coins are made to fool the public, in other cases a fake rarity is created to fool a collector and in some cases legitimate coins are defaced or altered to appear to be more valuable.
In all of those cases someone is basically attempting to cheat an unsuspecting buyer.
None of this is new. There were counterfeiters back in the days of antiquity, punching out fake denarii and solidii. Back in the renaissance, when the first collectors were filling the first coin cabinets, I suspect that some early tradesmen saw a chance to turn a quick buck.
It’s just that for most of our history, these types of crooks have preferred to remain out of scrutiny.